


Behind Closed Blue Doors

by HelloRoseTyler



Category: Doctor Who
Genre: F/M, Tenth Doctor Era
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-09-16
Updated: 2017-11-30
Packaged: 2018-12-30 11:34:01
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 5,481
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12107844
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HelloRoseTyler/pseuds/HelloRoseTyler
Summary: Behind Closed Blue Doors is (hopefully) a series of short stories based in between episodes of Doctor Who focusing on The Doctor and Rose Tyler.





	1. The Idiot's Lantern

Rose's pink pumps were, as most beautiful shoes are, uncomfortable. She grabbed the Doctor's arm and threaded hers through his... for stability, of course.

Rose looked up at the Doctor. His hair, that had been so perfectly styled earlier that day, looked a bit more disheveled now, and his eyes looked sad. "What's the matter with you, then?" She asked as they approached the Tardis' doors. He looked down at her. His eyes studying every groove and contour of her face. Rose turned away. He was looking so intently that she feared he might see the pimple she'd been trying to hide for the past 2 days. He gently grabbed her chin with his thumb and forefinger and turned her face back to his. "That face, your face. I thought I'd lost it." He said dropping his hand and looking down at his converse. "Oh, I knew you'd sort it out," she said optimistically and then winked. She hoped it would cheer the Doctor up. She half expected him to crack a joke about replacing her face with her mum's and then smile that big, wide grin that always made her heart skip a beat or two, but he didn't. He looked so serious and downtrodden, even though their adventure had ended happily.

After a few seconds of awkward silence, he lifted up his head, looked at Rose, and cupped her face in his soft, gentle hands. "I don't ever want to lose this face again." He said it sternly, determined almost as if he wasn't talking to her. He stooped and kissed Rose's forehead. Rose closed her eyes and breathed in every second. The Doctor didn't show affection like this often. He lingered for a minute before kissing the tip of Rose's nose. He lingered even longer, breathing heavily. Rose could feel his breath on her lips and it made her whole body tingle and tremble. Finally, hands still cupped around her face, he kissed her. It was a gentle, meaningful kiss at first, but it quickly turned passionate. His right hand dropped from her face to grasp her around the waist and pull her closer to him. His left hand moved to the back of her head and his long fingers intertwined with her hair. Rose could barely think. Her whole body was limp from shock and pleasure. With a jolt, she realized that she hadn't moved in quite some time. She threw her arms over the Doctor's shoulders and allowed her hands to grab fistfuls of hair like they so often wanted to. The Doctor let out a low growl of pleasure. He let go of her hair, but, to Rose's surprise and relief, didn't stop kissing her. He found the door to the Tardis, opened it, and they fell in. Both paused to allow for a slight giggle but within seconds were kissing passionately again. The Doctor's hands guided Rose's hips as they stumbled to the console. Rose took this opportunity to slide the Doctor's jacket off. It hit the metal floor with a clink. Rose leaned with her back against the console and the Doctor over her.

They broke from kissing and put their foreheads together to look at one another. With a crack in his voice, the Doctor repeated himself, "I don't ever want to lose this face again." Rose knew then that he meant so much more than just her face and just this adventure. She'd met Sarah Jane. She speculated that there must've been others. She knew the Doctor led a lonely life. Always running but forever stuck while everyone he loved moved forward. She took his face in both of her hands this time and said confidently "you won't." "Rose Tyler," he began, but they were kissing again before he could finish.


	2. Christmas Invasion

Rose brushed the ash out of her hair. It had looked so beautiful when she thought it was snow. After The Doctor explained what it really was, it just made her sad. She wondered if all their travels would be bittersweet; they so often were.

“No leather jacket anymore?” she asked with a smile and a raised eyebrow. The Doctor cocked his head, grabbed the collar of his jacket much like his first self, and said “You don’t like the pinstripes?” Before she could answer, he was back to fiddling with the Tardis console. He bent down to grab the sonic screwdriver he’d set on the floor. Rose took the opportunity to get a better look. “Maybe I do,” she said under her breath.

“Where’d you find it, though, your posh new suit?” she asked. “You’ve seen the closet before,” he said, “when we met Charles Dickens, remember?” “No, I got that dress from a wardrobe. Wait, you’ve got a whole closet? That dress was the only thing in my wardrobe, but you’ve got choices?” She got louder with every sentence. “Oh, right, I picked that out for you. No wonder you looked beautiful… considering.” He said with a wink and a grin. For a moment, Rose saw his previous face in his new face. It was hard to stay mad at either one.

“Come on, then, let’s go.” She said. “Where to? Barcelona?” The Doctor asked excitedly. “Nope, you’re giving me a proper tour of the Tardis.” Rose commanded. “That… could take a while.” He said. The Doctor never slowed down. “Then how about your favorite parts… and the closet?” Rose bargained.

They left the console and walked down a hallway. The Doctor led Rose into a room of musical instruments. Along one whole wall were different types of recordings – records, tapes, cds, 8-tracks, what looked like an iPod, and quite a few things Rose didn’t recognize. She presumed it was alien music. “Do aliens even make music?” she wondered, but she decided not to ask. A black electric guitar and amp sat in one corner collecting dust. A recorder sat atop a gramophone along with a stack of Beethoven records. A more modern stereo system sat on a table with a Muse CD and a pair of spoons. Hanging in another corner was a yellow Sgt. Pepper suit. Rose looked at it, confused. “Ah, yes, well, I sort of joined the Beatles once.” Rose nodded, impressed.

The Doctor led Rose into another room. “How’d you get a whole car in here?” Rose exclaimed. The Doctor looked at her as though she should know. “I know it’s bigger on the inside, but still!” She didn’t know what else to say. The car was a classic - a bright yellow roadster with a plate that read WHO1. “A bit egocentric, don’t you think?” Rose smiled as she read the plate. “What?” The Doctor asked rhetorically, but he sounded hurt. She grabbed his hand with one of hers and patted it with the other. On their way out they passed by a motorcycle and even a vespa. Rose shrugged. The Doctor was full of surprises.

They strolled through the hallways with the Doctor explaining the many functions of the Tardis as they went. After looking into the time vortex, Rose understood just how much the Tardis meant to the Doctor and vice versa. She nodded along, even though she understood very little of what he was saying. She smiled at the Tardis’ walls, and she could almost feel the Tardis smiling back.

One room was filled entirely with teas from different planets. Another looked like a room in the National Gallery. Paintings hung on the wall and sculptures stood in the corners. They all looked vaguely familiar to Rose. When the Doctor revealed who the artists were, Rose understood. Picasso, Rembrandt, Monet, Warhol, Donatello, Degas, Michelangelo – but they were all pieces no human knew existed. Yet another room was packed to the brim with confiscated weaponry. Rose was afraid to ask what some of the devices did.

Finally, they came to the closet. It was a mess. Rose laughed as she saw many different styles from different eras. Bell bottoms here, a pirate shirt there, and even a few military uniforms. The doctor busied himself organizing the room while Rose explored. There were racks and racks of clothes and accessories throughout the room, but on one wall there were 9 hooks in a row.

A simple black and white ensemble hung from the first hook. The second hook held a similar outfit but with plaid pants. The third hook contained a coat that looked like something a vampire would wear. The fourth held an impossibly long scarf and a brown hat. Striped pants and a beige trench coat hung from the fifth hook. The sixth hook’s clothes reminded her of a performance she once saw of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. The seventh hook held a sweater stitched with question marks. A very fancy-looking outfit hung from the eighth hook. When she got to the ninth hook, she immediately understood.

The ninth hook held a simple black leather jacket hung over a maroon jumper. Rose reached out for it. Her fingers traced the collar of the jacket. She got close enough to breathe in the smell of the jumper. Rose was about to pick it up and hold it when she realized she didn’t hear The Doctor shuffling about anymore. She turned. He was a few steps away staring at her. Rose could see the look of dejection in his eyes; Mickey gave her that look often. He had told her the truth that he couldn’t change back, but only now did Rose see how much he wanted to for her. She walked over to him, gave him a peck on the cheek, and whispered into his ear, “I like the pinstripes even more.” The Doctor folded his arms around Rose and hugged her tight. “Let’s go somewhere new,” he said.    


	3. School Reunion

Mickey sat cross-legged on the seat by the Tardis console and tampered with a device that looked like a bunch of kitchen appliances glued together. The Doctor had given him busy work so he could speak to Rose alone. She had been uncharacteristically quiet and withdrawn.

He cornered her by one of the skeletal structures he loved to stroke, but he stifled the urge to. Sarah Jane and Rose had a good laugh at his expense earlier, and he’d heard more than they thought.

Instead, he leaned against it and flapped his trench coat backward. “Rose,” he said intensely, as he so often did, but he couldn’t find the words to say next. “I’m ok,” Rose said, “I’ve just been thinking about all the things Sarah Jane said.” The Doctor nodded. “I’ve been thinking about all the things you said too.” Rose trailed off and looked away. The Doctor was looking at her, but she could tell he was really looking through her.

After a few moments, she spoke again. She chose her words carefully, “Sarah Jane said you were worth getting your heart broken for, but are we worth it? For you?” “Yes.” The Doctor didn’t hesitate on the straightforward answer, but the next part didn’t come to him quite so easily. “Rose,” he started, “you are worth a thousand heart breaks.” Rose looked down and smiled softly.

She had many thoughts in her head, but they could wait. Right now, after leaving behind a beloved friend and a tin pet, she could tell The Doctor needed to laugh. “Is that why you have two? Hearts, that is?” She said as she grinned. They laughed and walked back to Mickey arm-in-arm, but The Doctor looked thoughtful for a second as he pondered his two hearts and his many companions.


	4. New Earth

“That was kind – what you did for Cassandra - merciful.” Rose said her eyes fixed on a readout screen. Even though the two had a tumultuous relationship, Rose felt sorry for her in the end. She was glad The Doctor could make her last moments meaningful, but, again, it was a bittersweet ending.

The Doctor nodded in her direction. Something else was bothering him. He only rarely sat on the old torn up seat near the console; in fact, he rarely sat down at all. With his Chucks propped on the console’s ledge and his arms spread across the seats, he looked more like a boy than an ancient god-like alien. Sometimes Rose could almost forget he wasn’t human. He was always quick to remind her whether he meant to or not.     

“What’s wrong?” Rose asked as she plopped down beside him sitting sideways much like her mum used to tell her to when she was a little girl in frilly dresses. He turned to face her. “I’ve just been thinking,” he said, “both times we’ve kissed, Rose Tyler, you haven’t really been you.” Rose turned her head to the side and looked down, puzzled. She hadn’t thought of it like that before. “I guess not.” She said, scratching behind her ear.

She looked back up at The Doctor. He wore an expression she didn’t recognize. “What?” She questioned self-consciously. “Nothing,” he said as he grinned and looked up at the time rotor. “Seriously, what?” Rose pressed. The Doctor shrugged, pouted out his bottom lip, and said, “We could fix that, if you want.” “Are you askin’ permission to snog me?” Rose asked squinting her eyes at him. “Well, I just, I thought, I…” The Doctor stammered. “Oh, for god’s sake,” Rose interrupted with an eye roll.

She grabbed his tie with one hand and pulled him closer to her. Her other hand went instinctively to the back of his head and into his hair. She planted her lips on his, determined to make sure her kiss was more passionate than Cassandra’s ever was. Her hand fell from his tie to his chest and stayed there grabbing at his shirt. She even managed to link one of her legs with his before they both had to breathe. “There. That was all me.” She said. A squeaky “okay” was all The Doctor could manage to say. Satisfied with that response and with herself, Rose asked coolly, “where to now?”     


	5. The Girl in the Fireplace

The Doctor had an idea.

He’d parked the Tardis over the Horsehead Nebula. Mickey sat cross-legged at the open Tardis door eating a bag of crisps like a child on a school trip with a sack lunch. Cautious as ever, he wouldn’t let his feet dangle over the edge. Rose sat on the steps checking her messages, all of them from her mum.

The Doctor sat down beside her. “Rose,” he asked, “can I try something?” Rose’s eyes widened. “’Course.” She said, shoving her phone into her pocket as fast as she could and trying not to sound too excited. The Doctor placed his hands on either side of Rose’s face with his fingers at her temples. He looked into her eyes. He could tell she trusted him fully and that scared him more than any monster ever could, but he still asked “do you trust me?” Rose nodded eagerly. “Can I see your memories?” he asked. “Sure,” Rose said though her expression seemed unsure. “If there’s anything you don’t want me to see, imagine a door or a gate. Close it off in some way.” He tried to make it sound less invasive. Rose nodded, less eagerly this time. “Will you… will you see if you can access my memory too?” He asked sheepishly. Rose nodded again. She realized how uneasy she must look, but she simply couldn’t think of anything else to say or do besides nod.

The Doctor closed his eyes and Rose followed suit. She felt a rush inside her mind, and she realized she was imagining many slamming doors and locked gates. Soon, The Doctor came to the memory he’d been searching for - the day they met. Rose imagined curtains closing on a window. The Doctor whispered “please.” Rose couldn't resist his plea and imagined the curtains opening. Then she tried it. She pushed her way through the Doctor’s mind. She saw a flash of spunky little girl with short brown hair immediately enclosed in a locket, a striking orange planet hidden behind a rickety barn door, and then she saw herself. They stayed like that for what seemed like an eternity, looking at each other through each other’s eyes. It was an unsettling and yet exciting feeling, like being at the top of a roller coaster’s first hill.

“What are you two doing then?” Mickey asked, casually chomping on a crisp. Who knows how long he’d been watching them. The Doctor removed his hands from Rose’s temples and grabbed hers. He stood then helped her to her feet. “Just a little memory experiment,” said The Doctor, putting an arm around Rose and bringing her in close enough to smell her hair with his next breath. She laid her head into his shoulder and closed her eyes. “Do you want to go next?” The Doctor asked Mickey. “I don’t think so.” Mickey said as he shuddered. The Doctor grinned at Rose. They sat down on the chair and began reminiscing. “Make yourself useful, Mickey, push that button there.” The Doctor ordered.


	6. Impossible Planet/Satan Pit

Rose grabbed the Doctor’s collar and faced him toward her. “I thought I lost you. I thought you were dead.” She looked into his eyes and raised her hand. The Doctor expected her to run her fingers through her hair. He did not expect her to slap his face. Hard. “Don’t ever do that to me again!” She scolded as she began crying and hyperventilating. The shock was settling in. They had cheated death again, but it had come too close for Rose this time. The Doctor, shocked at being slapped, stood mouth agape. “Do’ya hear me?!” Rose screamed in between huge, uneven breaths. “Rose,” The Doctor said quietly, “you’re in shock.” “Bloody right I am!” she yelled. Her knees gave out and she collapsed. The Doctor caught her with one arm. “You need a doctor.” He said and brushed the hair out of her face. He kissed her gently; the kind of kiss that had healed her the first time he said those words. Rose passed out. The Doctor sat her down on the seat next to the console.

He pushed a few buttons, pulled a few levers, and then sauntered over to open the doors of the Tardis. They were overlooking the most beautifully remote galaxy The Doctor could think of on short notice. It seemed like the perfect place to calm Rose down. He knelt down in front of her. “Rose,” as he rubbed her thigh, “Rose, wake up.” She awoke with a start and a very deep breath. She looked down at The Doctor who was staring at her with frightened puppy dog eyes. He apologized, “I’m so sorry, Rose. I know that was too much for you, and I’m sorry I put you through it.” He looked down. “It’s not your fault.” Rose mumbled sorrowfully. “I thought we could rest for a bit.” The Doctor said as he nodded toward the door. “It’s beautiful,” Rose said after a bit of silence, “I’m sorry too. For slappin’ ya.” “Oh, I probably deserved that,” The Doctor grinned as he spoke, “Come on, I want to show you something.”

The Doctor led Rose into the underbelly of the Tardis. He pushed a button. Nothing happened. He sighed, pulled out his sonic screwdriver, and pointed it angrily at the button until he heard a click. All of a sudden, the floor began to disappear. It startled Rose at first then she realized the floor was just becoming clear. “Only place I can get the chameleon circuit to work,” The doctor grumbled, rolling his eyes. Underneath their feet was the galaxy. Pink, purple, and blue were merely adjectives. Rose would never be able to describe the vibrant colors swirling on a canvas of perfect black, the puffs of nebulae that almost looked like clouds, and the glittery stars twinkling under her feet.

The Doctor pointed the sonic in the air and music started. Rose recognized Moonlight Serenade as soon as it began. They had danced to this song before. It seemed so long ago now. The Doctor wrapped his arms around Rose and they began to dance again. She laid her head on his shoulder, and he whispered into her ear. “I thought I’d lost you too. ‘Course I believed in you; I knew you’d survive, my clever Rose, but I never thought I’d see you again.” “Shhh,” Rose pulled back to look at him and smiled, “we’re okay.” She rested her head back on his shoulder, and they continued to dance.

He leaned down and kissed her temple, her cheek, and finally her lips. Before either of them knew what was happening, they were kissing passionately. Rose loosened The Doctor’s tie and shoved his jacket off. She was undoing his shirt buttons when she realized he was unzipping her jacket. She was almost to the last button when he got to her belt and it wouldn’t budge. They stopped kissing. She cursed herself for putting that stupid thing on. He pulled the sonic screwdriver out of his pants pocket and pointed it at the belt. It broke apart. He grinned. Rose bit her lip and practically leapt at his mouth, grabbing his hair along the way.

“Rose,” The Doctor said, breathing heavily, “Before we do this, I have to tell you something.” “Oh, god, we’re doing this.” Rose thought, but she coolly hummed “mmhmm?” while continuing to snog him. “Rose,” The Doctor said, more seriously this time as he pulled away, “When I change, everything changes. I’ll always care about you, but I can’t guarantee that my eyes will always see you this way, that my mind will always think of you this way, that my body will always want you this way, and, most importantly, that my heart will always…” His voice cracked before he could finish.

A few moments of silence passed, but they felt like an eternity. “Let’s just live in the moment, shall we, Time Lord?” Rose suggested raising her eyebrow. Rose could tell by his expression that The Doctor particularly liked being called Time Lord in situations like these. He growled, grabbed her arse, and pulled her closer to him. His shirt was open and she could feel the warmth from his bare chest radiating outward. She tugged his tie off and gently removed his shirt while looking deep into his chocolate brown eyes. As he wiggled her shirt off, his fingers delicately grazed her stomach and he began kissing her chest. 

Before long all their clothes were on the floor and so were they, stars shining and galaxies swirling underneath, as two time travelers lived in one moment.  


	7. Love and Monsters

“Well,” stated The Doctor, but he ran out of words immediately. He looked at Rose. Rose looked at him. The Doctor looked at the floor. Rose looked at the ceiling. He fiddled with his sonic screwdriver. She checked out her cuticles. They looked at each other again and shuddered. 

Finally, Rose broke the silence. “I have a really bad headache.” She didn’t. “Oh, well, then.” The Doctor stammered. “Yup.” Rose concluded. “Chips?” He suggested. “Mmm, chips.” Rose said and nodded. 

They ate chips in silence and tried to forget.


	8. Tooth and Claw

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dedicated to LizAnn_5869!

“So, can ya do that accent again?” Rose asked, grinning ear-to-ear. The Doctor looked at her and raised his eyebrow. “Hello, Rose Tyler! You like this accent, eh?” He said, hanging on her name with every word thereafter dripping in a perfectly crafted Scottish cadence. “Mmm,” Rose purred and bit her lip.

“Can we go to 1979 now? Where my nakedness won’t be a problem?” She asked. “I quite liked your nakedness. I mean, I like your outfit.” He corrected and began pushing buttons on the console. Rose’s eyes twinkled at the compliment, and she leaned over to peck him on the cheek. “Thanks,” she whispered into his ear. He turned to face her. She was hoping _he_ would kiss _her_ this time, but, to Rose’s dismay, her phone rang.

Of course it would be Mickey. Of course there was something strange happening in London, and of course they needed to get there right away.


	9. Fear Her

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I went with a slightly different format here. Before the break = before the episode/at the beginning of episode. After the break = after the episode.

“Watch that button.” He cautioned in between labored breaths. The Tardis landed as best she could despite her navigators being otherwise occupied and despite their accidental button smashing and lever kicking in the midst of lovemaking.

Once dressed, The Doctor opened the door and realized the Tardis was parked quite wrong. Rose was sitting against the console still adjusting her shirt. He strolled over to her, looked deep into her eyes, and ran his hands up her thighs then straight to the controls just behind her. “Tease.” She huffed. He grinned and winked at her. She grabbed his tie and pulled his face close to hers. Their lips were mere millimeters apart when Rose broke the silence. “Ready to go then?” She said in the huskiest, sexiest voice she could muster. “Well, we don’t have to just yet-” The Doctor started, but Rose cut him off. “Gotcha.” She said, pulling him toward the door.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

They walked back to the Tardis hand in hand. Rose felt a weight in the pit of her stomach, like something bad was going to happen. She’d felt it before, a little twinge every time she saw the words Bad Wolf. She’d been pushing it to the back of her mind until now because, now, The Doctor felt something too.

“Can I show you something?” He asked. Rose nodded timidly; she couldn’t shake this feeling. The Doctor pulled out his sonic screwdriver and pointed it at a small yellow switch on the console. “That should stabilize it for now.” He muttered, almost to himself.  Then he pulled the lever and the Tardis made the ever-familiar sound Rose had loved since the moment she set foot inside, the sound that meant adventure. “We can’t go outside,” he said as they walked to the door, “For now, we have a, erm, well, a forcefield. We’re invisible so long as we don’t step past the doors.” Rose looked at him quizzically, but as soon as he opened the doors, she understood.

She was looking at herself and Mickey at her feet. It seemed like a million years had passed since this moment. Standing across from her in front of a big blue box was a man with big ears wearing a leather jacket. She smiled as she saw her former self run to him. The Doctor closed the door, pointed the sonic at it, and opened it again.

This time, they were attempting to dance for the first time. Rose laughed as Jack interrupted their moment. The Doctor rolled his eyes. He closed the door again, soniced, and reopened it.

With a flurry of pink, Rose immediately knew where she was. Tears welled in her eyes as she saw The Doctor’s expression when he looked at a blank slate where her face once was.

He showed her their whole timeline together. All the little looks she missed. All the times he wanted to speak but didn’t that she never noticed. She tried blinking back her tears, but soon they began to flow freely down her cheeks. She turned into the Doctor’s embrace and whispered “thank you.” He wiped away her tears and pushed the hair out of her face, “No, Rose Tyler, thank you.”

And for the last time Rose and The Doctor began to kiss. 


	10. Rise of the Cybermen/The Age of Steel

Rose sat on the Tardis steps in a daze. Mickey had been her rock for so long. When her heart led her to the farthest reaches of the universe and the very ends of time with The Doctor, the back of her mind could always count on Mickey to be waiting for her at home, ready to live a normal life. It never dawned on Rose that Mickey’s heart could’ve longed for anything else, and it made her sick to her stomach to realize how selfish she’d been. “Selfish,” she couldn’t help but mumble. The Doctor carefully sat down beside her. “You’re not selfish. Mickey didn’t know what he wanted until now.” Rose smiled. The Doctor always thought the best of her, even when she didn’t deserve it.

Rose stood up with a sigh and changed the subject, “I can’t imagine a universe without The Doctor.” “I can’t imagine one without a Rose Tyler.” The way he hung on the last syllable of her name always made Rose’s knees buckle ever so slightly. He noticed her wobble and stood to help. He raised an eyebrow, “you alright?” Rose nodded. Thank God Time Lords were somewhat oblivious. “Think there are other Roses and Doctors out there? Travelin’ together?” She asked. “I should think so!” He said, as he raced to the console, “What would The Doctor do without his Rose?” He winked then turned to enter coordinates as Rose watched him from a few steps behind.

Maybe in another universe, Rose thought, things were different. She and The Doctor were the same species. They could live their lives together, age at the same time, have children. Maybe it would be a life filled with mundane adventures like grocery shopping, paying bills, and sleeping next to each other... Rose shook her head. “Enough daydreaming,” she said to herself. “You made your choice a long time ago, and it’s time to stick to it.”


	11. Army of Ghosts/Doomsday/The Runaway Bride

Rose:

Rose sat on the edge of her bed. Her eyes were puffy and bloodshot. The beach, while providing some closure, had brought back so many emotions. Unbeknownst to her, Mickey had put in a call to a connection at Torchwood shortly after they returned. He’d heard her mention it there and thought maybe it would lift her spirits. He pulled every string he had to get her a job there. Rose was grateful. She didn’t want to let him down. 

She stood up and brushed her hands over her pantsuit. It was a far cry from what she usually wore, but it was her first day. She wanted to make a good impression. She checked her makeup in the mirror and caught a glimpse of the picture stuck in the rim. At first, she tried to ignore it; every time she looked at it she cried. 

“Not today.” She said audibly. She took the picture off the mirror and stared at it. Who knew they had photo booths in space? Who knew she and The Doctor would have to hide in one during one of their many adventures? And who knew when they realized it was taking pictures that he would lean in for a rare kiss? She had never been so thankful for a photo booth. She tucked the photo carefully into her breast pocket as close as she could get it to her heart. “I will get back to you.” She said adamantly. “I will.” 

The Doctor: 

“Her name was Rose,” he repeated after he shut the door. He picked up Rose’s shirt carefully as if it were about to dematerialize in his hands. He brought it up to his face and inhaled. It still smelled like her. He could feel one of his hearts breaking. Rose was joking when she said it so long ago, but he knew now why he had two – one to keep him alive, the other to bear the pain of the curse of the Time Lords.

He took the shirt to the Tardis’ closet. He found a hanger, and hung it on the ninth hook with his black leather jacket and jumper. “The first face you saw, Rose Tyler.” He bowed his head only to see another leather jacket wadded up on the floor. This one was worn and dusty. “Bad wolf.” He said, though he had no idea why. He shrugged and sauntered back to the console, but the Tardis jolted. 

“Whoa,” The Doctor exclaimed, “I didn’t do that.” It swung back and forth a dozen times before he made it to the mainframe, but he couldn’t stop it. He pushed a thousand buttons, but the Tardis kept swaying. In frustration, he slammed his hands on the railing. “What are you doing?!” He screamed as tears filled his eyes. “One moment’s peace that’s all I’m asking for!” Just then, The Tardis doors swung open to reveal her masterpiece. She had made a brand-new nebula… in the shape of a Rose. “Oh,” The Doctor heaved a heavy sigh. He walked to the open door to look out. “Thank you,” he said as he stroked the door frame. He sat at the edge of the door and wept for days, weeks, maybe even years. He lost track. 

He went back to the closet and hung his pinstriped suit on the tenth hook. “Only when I’m really missing you,” he said, looking at Rose’s shirt. He inhaled deeply and looked at his blue suit in the mirror. “It’s time.” The Time Lord decided.


End file.
